The present invention generally relates to a device for automatically signaling whether a particular container has been accessed, primarily for purposes of identifying containers which call for service subsequent to such access.
It is common practice in any of a variety of endeavors to station one or more containers at various locations for purposes of receiving and/or storing desired articles at each such location. For example, in conjunction with the collection of refuse, common practice is to station containers at each of a plurality of sites so that subscribers to the collecting service can deposit refuse in their respective containers for subsequent collection, usually according to a pre-established schedule. The collection service then takes appropriate steps, according to the established schedule, to empty the containers of its subscribers and to remove the contents for disposal.
A common practice for emptying the containers of their contents is to employ a service vehicle which includes a hopper for receiving the contents of the containers, and a lifting mechanism for engaging each of the several containers and for lifting the engaged container to the hopper. In the course of lifting the container to the hopper, steps are taken to invert the container so that its contents fall into the hopper under the influence of gravity. This is often facilitated by providing the lifting mechanism and the container with cooperating structures which enable the operator to perform the desired operations remotely, from the service vehicle.
Such a procedure can be quite efficient since the entire operation can be performed remotely, by a single operator driving the service vehicle. However, in the course of such operations, it is not uncommon for the operator to perform the scheduled operations on empty containers (e.g., on containers which have not been used since the last scheduled pick-up). This can tend to limit the overall efficiency of the operation, in turn contributing to unnecessary costs (e.g., labor costs, fuel costs, etc.).
It will be appreciated that other industries making use of containers for any of a variety of diverse purposes will tend to experience similar difficulties, as well as other problems which would benefit from an efficient device for indicating whether a container has been accessed.